The Public Health Institute will convene the First California MultiCultural Health Information Institute (MCHII) Conference. The conference theme is "Translating Information into Policy: Understanding California's Multicultural Communities." It is to be held on May 26, 27, and 28, 1999 at Preservation Park, Oakland, California. This event will help to 1) launch MCHII, 2) develop the MultiCultural Health Information Resource Center and its technical assistance capacity, and 3) contribute ideas to the design and implementation of an Institute web site to improve multicultural health statistics data and information accessibility. The Conference, as well as the MultiCultural Health Information Institute, has been developed through a collaborative effort between government, community and research/academic sectors. Of the 23 topical sessions, 12 have substantial relevance to research concerns. The Public Health Institute (PHI) has proudly partnered with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) to provide ongoing access to ethnic health networks and community-based organizations (CBOs).